Ba s ic Moral O rie - PowerPoint Presentation

Ba s ic Moral O rie n t a ti o n s An O v e rvi e w

On what basis do we make moral decisions? “Do w hat the Bib l e tells y o u”  D i v i n e C omma n d Theor i es “Follow y o u r co n s c ien c e”  The Eth i cs of Consc i en c e “Watch out for #1”  Ethic a l E g oi s m “Do the right th i ng ”  The Eth i cs of Du t y “Don ' t dis ' m e”  T h e Eth i cs of R e sp e ct “...a l l M en a r e c rea t ed ... w ith cer t ain u n alie n ab l e Rights”  T h e Et h ics of Rights “ M ake the w orld a better p la c e”  Uti l i t aria n ism “Dad d y , that ’ s not fair”  T h e Eth i cs of Just i ce “Be a good p e r so n ”  Virtue Eth i cs

" Do what the Bible tells you”Divine Command Theo r ies Being good is equivalent to doing whatever the Bible OR the Qur’an OR some other sacred text OR source of revelation tells you to do“What is RIGHT” = “What God Tells Me to Do”

“ Follow your conscience”The Ethics of Our Inner Voice Co n science tells us what is right or wrong Often has a religious sourceMay be founded in a notion of human natureIs often negative in character, telling us what is NOT right

"Wat ch out for #1”Ethical EgoismSays the only person to look out for is yourselfAyn Rand, Th e Et hics of SelfishnessWell known for her novels, especially Atlas Shrugged

" Do the right thing“The Ethics of DutyBegins with the conviction that eth i cs is a bout doing what is right, about doing your duty.Duty may be determined by:ReasonKant: Do what any rational agent should doProfessional r o l e A p h ysician’s duty to care for the sickSocial roleA parent’s duty to care for his or her children

" Don't dis' me" The Ethics of RespectHuman interactions should be governed by rules of respect What cou nts as respect can vary from one culture to anotherEXAMPLES:spitting in the sandshowing the soles of one’s shoesWhat is it that merits respect?

“ ...all Men are created ...with certain unalienable Rights”The Ethics of RightsThe m o st influe ntial moral notion of the past two centuries Established minimal conditions of human decency

“Make the world a better place” UtilitarianismSeeks to reduce suf fer ing a nd increase pleasure or happiness Demands a high degree of self-sacrifice — we must consider the consequences for everyone. Utilitarians claim the purpo s e of mor a l i t y is to make the world a better place.

“ Daddy, that’s not fair” The Ethics of JusticeBegins early in th e fam ily with fairness to all family members What is fair for one should be fair for all. Treating people equally may not mean treating th em t h e same.

" Be a good person”Virtue EthicsSeeks to develop individual character A ssumes good persons will make good decisions Developed by Plato and Aristotle Integral to the Jesuit tradition– The Spiritual E x e r c i s es Provides a way of integrating all the theories

C lassroom ApplicationYour Initial Moral Orientation